Chapter 12- Traitor
The moon was bright in the midnight sky, the only light pouring down, casting a sickly yellow glow on the grove. There was a fire in the middle, and in front of the fire, tied up and crying was a young woman with gold spun hair in a white robe. Around her and the fire, was a circle of masked men. Their robes were black and their masks were red, grotesque shapes, some with horns, some with protruding witch-like noses, some with black warts. The circle closed in around her as they chanted in a language the young woman had never heard.
"You have a high honor tonight Muggle." The only unmasked man told her. Quaking she looked up at him. "You will be sacrificed to ensure my continued success against my foes."
The chanting reached a fevered pitch and one of the masked men came forward a shining ornate dagger with a garnet encrusted handle in his hand. He raised it above his head. "The dagger of my father's stained with the blood of my victim." The cold voice started. Then dagger came down and split her throat. The scream died on her lips, the shaking stopped and the front of the masked man's robes were stained red. He took the dagger away and let the crimson liquid drip slowly into the golden goblet.
Once the dagger had stopped dripping the masked man set the cup down on the stone alter and held up his own wrist. "The dagger of my master's stained with my loyal blood." He picked up another dagger, this one encrusted with emeralds and sliced his wrist horizontally. Then he held the dagger against the cut. Once the blood was covering the dagger, he held it over the cup letting his blood mix with the young woman's.
He swirled them around and spoke in Latin for a minute. The cup bubbled and smoked. "Immortal elixir, grant strength and victory to my master, give him the power to defeat his foes, give him the ability to cheat death and rise again and again, above the trembling masses." Then the masked man dropped to his knees and held the cup high above his head, letting Lord Voldemort, the only unmasked man in the group take it from his grip.
Voldemort lifted the chalice to his cracked, pale lips and quickly gulped down the contents. Then he looked down to his servant. "Arise Malfoy. Arise and take your place beside me for you have done what the others could not. You have given your master victory with your ritual." Malfoy stood and took off the mask. Lowering his hood he stared out at the many wizards, a look of vast superiority on his face.
Voldemort scanned the hoods bowing low to him. "And where is Snape? Where are his gifts to me?" They waited, but no man came forward. Anger surrounded Voldemort, crackling in the air around him. "Where is Severus Snape!" He demanded.
"My lord." Came a soft voice from the front row. "He isn't coming."
Sharp angry eyes sought out the voice and beckoned the speaker forward. "I went to the castle tonight." Wormtail told him. "I heard them speaking. He has told Malfoy's sister, Dumbledore and McGonagall everything. He said he wouldn't take them with him. That he was going to come to you and stall but Ms. Malfoy persuaded him not to."
"So, we have had a traitor in our midst all this while." The Dark Lord spoke slowly, darkly. "Very well."
"Shall someone go dispose of him?" Malfoy asked with barely contained glee.
"No. That is to much for a traitor like him. No, we shall make him wish he were dead. We will give him til the beginning of the Solar year, then we shall take from him his most prized possession, and we will still take my bride!"
There was a loud unholy yell from the Death-Eaters. "Let the revels begin!" Voldemort commanded. The hooded men left quickly in groups. Off to torture and murder, rape and pillage, all in the name of their master. Soon dark marks would appear all over the night sky, but until then...."Lucius, I want you to make a plan. On January first I want Minerva and your sister in your home, awaiting me."
Malfoy bowed low. "Of course my lord."
The moon was bright in the midnight sky, the only light pouring down, casting a sickly yellow glow on the grove. There was a fire in the middle, and in front of the fire, tied up and crying was a young woman with gold spun hair in a white robe. Around her and the fire, was a circle of masked men. Their robes were black and their masks were red, grotesque shapes, some with horns, some with protruding witch-like noses, some with black warts. The circle closed in around her as they chanted in a language the young woman had never heard.
"You have a high honor tonight Muggle." The only unmasked man told her. Quaking she looked up at him. "You will be sacrificed to ensure my continued success against my foes."
The chanting reached a fevered pitch and one of the masked men came forward a shining ornate dagger with a garnet encrusted handle in his hand. He raised it above his head. "The dagger of my father's stained with the blood of my victim." The cold voice started. Then dagger came down and split her throat. The scream died on her lips, the shaking stopped and the front of the masked man's robes were stained red. He took the dagger away and let the crimson liquid drip slowly into the golden goblet.
Once the dagger had stopped dripping the masked man set the cup down on the stone alter and held up his own wrist. "The dagger of my master's stained with my loyal blood." He picked up another dagger, this one encrusted with emeralds and sliced his wrist horizontally. Then he held the dagger against the cut. Once the blood was covering the dagger, he held it over the cup letting his blood mix with the young woman's.
He swirled them around and spoke in Latin for a minute. The cup bubbled and smoked. "Immortal elixir, grant strength and victory to my master, give him the power to defeat his foes, give him the ability to cheat death and rise again and again, above the trembling masses." Then the masked man dropped to his knees and held the cup high above his head, letting Lord Voldemort, the only unmasked man in the group take it from his grip.
Voldemort lifted the chalice to his cracked, pale lips and quickly gulped down the contents. Then he looked down to his servant. "Arise Malfoy. Arise and take your place beside me for you have done what the others could not. You have given your master victory with your ritual." Malfoy stood and took off the mask. Lowering his hood he stared out at the many wizards, a look of vast superiority on his face.
Voldemort scanned the hoods bowing low to him. "And where is Snape? Where are his gifts to me?" They waited, but no man came forward. Anger surrounded Voldemort, crackling in the air around him. "Where is Severus Snape!" He demanded.
"My lord." Came a soft voice from the front row. "He isn't coming."
Sharp angry eyes sought out the voice and beckoned the speaker forward. "I went to the castle tonight." Wormtail told him. "I heard them speaking. He has told Malfoy's sister, Dumbledore and McGonagall everything. He said he wouldn't take them with him. That he was going to come to you and stall but Ms. Malfoy persuaded him not to."
"So, we have had a traitor in our midst all this while." The Dark Lord spoke slowly, darkly. "Very well."
"Shall someone go dispose of him?" Malfoy asked with barely contained glee.
"No. That is to much for a traitor like him. No, we shall make him wish he were dead. We will give him til the beginning of the Solar year, then we shall take from him his most prized possession, and we will still take my bride!"
There was a loud unholy yell from the Death-Eaters. "Let the revels begin!" Voldemort commanded. The hooded men left quickly in groups. Off to torture and murder, rape and pillage, all in the name of their master. Soon dark marks would appear all over the night sky, but until then...."Lucius, I want you to make a plan. On January first I want Minerva and your sister in your home, awaiting me."
Malfoy bowed low. "Of course my lord."